Tom Kovach was born in Woodbury, N.J., and grew up in northern Delaware, becoming an Eagle Scout. He earned bachelor's degrees in chemical engineering and psychology from the University of Delaware in 1992 and a law degree from Rutgers University in 1997.

After graduating from the University of Delaware, Kovach worked as an enforcement officer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. After obtaining his law degree, he practiced environmental law and commercial litigation. He is past chair of the litigation and environmental law sections of the Delaware State Bar Association.

Kovach was elected to the state House in a special election in 2008, narrowly defeating a Democratic opponent and fellow lawyer. He lost a re-election bid in 2010 but won another special election in 2011, overcoming voter registration numbers favoring Democrats and easily defeating a sitting councilman to become county council president in New Castle County, the most populous of Delaware's three counties.

In 2010, the Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowship selected him for participation in a program aimed at identifying and bringing together the nation's most promising young political leaders.

Kovach's volunteer service includes coaching youth soccer and serving as an assistant scoutmaster.

Kovach and his wife, Sandi, have three children.

In announcing his intention to run for Congress, Tom Kovach described incumbent Democratic Rep. John Carney Jr. as a career politician who has shown no leadership or willingness to change the status quo.

Kovach, a GOP moderate, has said he will use his experience as an engineer, attorney and court-trained mediator to bring the balance needed to get things done in Washington.

Kovach says his top priorities in Congress will be to fix the economy and bring jobs to Delaware. In addition to skyrocketing employee benefit costs and unnecessary delays caused by the government, businesses also face cumbersome regulations and an overly complex tax code, according to Kovach, who wants to ease those burdens and fight for a simpler tax code.

While criticizing the 2010 health care reform law as overly complex and riddled with problems, including costly mandates, Kovach, to the dismay of some Republicans, has refused to promise to vote to repeal it. He says the law contains some good provisions, including allowing those with pre-existing conditions to have portability in their coverage and allowing young people to be insured through their parents until the age of 26.

While Delaware was awarded $119 million over four years as one of the first two states to win federal Race to the Top education grants, Kovach says the federal government should have less control over our education.

Saying America need a balance between jobs and environmental protection, Kovach believes the government must encourage market-driven renewable energy efforts while expanding domestic production of traditional fuels such as coal, gas and oil.